A 2025 Penn State football target who possesses 18 Power 5 offers, St. Joseph’s Prep defensive lineman Maxwell Roy is an athletic interior lineman who eats up blocks and chases down ball carriers with equal ease, the kind of high motor talent who could start from day one at most collegiate programs.
After St. Joe’s win over North Allegheny in the PIAA 6A State Championship game, Roy spoke about his ongoing recruiting process, both with Penn State and other schools in the area. Roy has one year left in his high school career, but said he’s starting to narrow down the offers he’s received in talking with his family. In NSN’s conversation with him, Roy emphasized the St. Joe’s connections amongst the schools he has offers from, which could be a trend to keep an eye on during his recruiting process.
Penn State Taking An Early Lead?
For instance, Roy said that Penn State defensive analyst and analytics coordinator Gabe Infante, who served as the head coach at St. Joe’s from 2010 to 2018, has played a key role in his conversations with the Nittany Lions.
“Coach Infante, he used to be an old Prep coach, and he still represents all the same things we represent here,” Roy said. “So whenever I get on the phone with Coach Infante, specifically, we can just talk for days about stories [from] here when he was at the Prep. Me and him just relate on a different level.”
Roy also said that head coach James Franklin and defensive line coach Deion Barnes have left a positive impact on him from the conversations they’ve had.
“Whenever you get to talk with Coach Franklin it’s a great time. Talk with Coach Barnes, it’s amazing,” Roy said. “All the guys there at Penn State, they’re all great people. It’s amazing when I get to be on the phone, or whenever I get to talk with them in person.”
All in all, Roy said he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself with so many offers on the table. As a junior, he feels some pressure to start narrowing things down, but Roy emphasized the time he has left to decide on a future home.
“I try to say I’m keeping my options open. Every school has something to offer, and they’re all great schools,” Roy said. “Maybe not as early as I was before in my recruiting process, but I still have time to make a decision and find what’s the best option for me and my family.”
Prep Connections Run Deep
Roy continued to describe how lessons learned during his time at St. Joe’s have helped him grow as a player. The Hawks’ leadership makes him a better teammate and motivates him to give his all on every play, for instance.
“It’s just going here, to Prep, things that I’ve learned here from all the coaches, from players I’ve played with. It’s something that I don’t think you can find anywhere else in the nation,” Roy said. “The motor that I get from people around here that want to just finish every play, love for my teammates, it’s something special that I can only say and attribute to the Prep and players I’ve played with.”
Roy stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 265 pounds. He already possesses the sort of rangy frame that can help him occupy multiple blockers, and will only continue to build strength ahead of his college career, whether with Penn State or somewhere else. Roy talked about his motor when asked what makes him stand out as a player.
“If you look on the physical side, my physicality and the ability to stop the run,” Roy said. “Just chasing out plays: that’s something you don’t usually find in guys my size.”
